A rare Alberta appearance for the group, the concert will be held on on Saturday, Dec. 11 at 8pm the River Park Church in Calgary. Featured selections will include the music of Bill Evans, Duke Ellington, Claude Debussy and Thelonius Monk along with traditional favourites such as Silent Night and Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite.

Bill Mays’ prolific career as a pianist, composer and arranger spans more than five decades. Deeply rooted in gospel, jazz, pop and classical genres, the multi-talented artist has received numerous honours and awards, among them performance grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. No stranger to Canadian audiences, Mays tours annually with the Toronto Chamber Jazz Septet.

Recently returning from his recent work on Broadway, Alberta’s own P.J. Perry is recognized as one of the finest saxophonists in North America. His long list of credits includes two Juno awards and nominations for the Prix de Jazz du Maurier Ltee and the Prix Socan.

Neil Swainson has recorded and toured the world with such jazz notables as Herb Ellis, Moe Koffman, Woody Shaw, Paul Horn and George Shearing. His bass stylings on three Canadian recordings have won Juno awards. He currently writes and records with the collaborative Toronto based group, JMO.

Terry Clarke is one of the most influential drummers and percussionists in jazz today. His credits appear on more than 300 studio and concert albums recorded around the world. The release of Clark’s debut as a leader, It’s about Time, coincided with his being named a member of the Order of Canada. (www.terryclarke.bluemusicgroup.com )